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You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.